HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY - BUILDING AND STRUCTURES. One Constitution Plaza, 2nd Floor, Hartford CT Laviana Orchards Record No.

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1 HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY - BUILDING AND STRUCTURES Please send completed form to: Stacey Vairo, National Register and State Register Coordinator, Connecticut Commission State Historic on Culture Preservation & Tourism, Office, One Department Constitution of Economic Plaza, and 2nd Community Floor, Hartford, Development, CT * Note: Please attach any additional * Note: Please or expanded attach any information additional on expanded a separate information sheet. on a separate sheet. GENERAL INFORMATION Building Name (Common) Laviana Orchards Record No Building Name (Historic) Norton, Albert, Farmstead Street Address or Location 1684 Chamberlain Highway (Route 71) Town/City Berlin Village Kensington County Hartford Owner(s) Ronald Laviana & Arlene Laviana, 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Kensington Public Private PROPERTY INFORMATION Present Use: Agriculture/Subsistence: agricultural outbuilding; Domestic: single dwelling Historic Use: Agriculture/Subsistence: agricultural outbuilding; Domestic: single dwelling Accessibility to public: Exterior visible from public road? Yes No Interior accessible? Yes No If yes, explain Style of building Extended English bank barn, Vernacular style Date of Construction Late 19th c. Material(s) (Indicate use or location when appropriate): Clapboard Asbestos Siding Brick Wood Shingle Asphalt Siding Fieldstone Board & Batten Stucco Cobblestone Aluminum Siding Concrete (Type ) Cut Stone ( Type ) Other Vertical wood board siding Structural System Wood Frame Post & Beam Balloon Load bearing masonry Structural iron or steel Other Roof (Type) Gable Flat Mansard Monitor Sawtooth Gambrel Shed Hip Round Other (Material) Wood Shingle Roll Asphalt Tin Slate Asphalt Shingle Built up Tile Other Number of Stories: 2 1/2, B Approximate Dimensions 75' x 27' Structural Condition: Excellent Good Fair Deteriorated Exterior Condition: Excellent Good Fair Deteriorated Location Integrity: On original site Moved When? Alterations? Yes No If yes, explain: FOR OFFICE USE: Town # Site # UTM District: S NR If NR, Specify: Actual Potential -1-

2 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin CT Record No Historic Resources Inventory PROPERTY INFORMATION (CONT D) Related outbuildings or landscape features: Barn Shed Garage Carriage House Shop Garden Other landscape features or buildings: Green houses, Christmas trees Surrounding Environment: Open land Woodland Residential Commercial Industrial Rural High building density Scattered buildings visible from site Interrelationship of building and surroundings: See continuation sheet. Other notable features of building or site (Interior and/or Exterior) See continuation sheet. Architect Builder Historical or Architectural importance: See continuation sheet. Sources: Cunningham, Jan, Connecticut's Agricultural Heritage: an Architectural and Historical Overview, Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation & State Historic Preservation Office, See continuation sheet. Photographer Kristen Young Date 3/13/2013 View Multiple Views Negative on File CTHP Name Kristen Young and Charlotte Hitchcock Date 3/29/2013 Organization Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation Address 940 Whitney Avenue, Hamden CT Subsequent field evaluations: Latitude, Longitude: , Threats to the building or site: None known Highways Vandalism Developers Renewal Private Deterioration Zoning Other Explanation -2-

3 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No Interrelationship of building and surroundings: The Albert Norton farmstead is found on Chamberlain Highway (Rte. 71), which runs north-south through the western portion of Berlin, in the South Kensington area. It is just to the north of the intersection of Orchard Road and Chamberlain Highway, and to the south of the intersection of Southington Road (Rte. 364) and Chamberlain Highway. A few miles to the south is the border of Meriden, and approximately two miles to the northeast is the center of Berlin. The Kenmore Reservoir is to the east of the property and the South Burying Ground (located on Southington Road) is to the north. Timberlin Golf Course is also to the north on Stonington Road. The property is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, forested land, and open fields. The Worthington Ridge Local and National Register Historic District is located approximately four miles to the east along Worthington Ridge which also runs north-south. Worthington Ridge represents the residential and institutional center of the town in the 18 th and 19 th centuries, prior to the dominance of rail and highway transportation. The farmstead is located on 65 acres of land on the west side of Chamberlain Highway (Rte. 71). A Y-shaped driveway to the north of the Farmhouse extends to the west and leads to the south side of the barn and a parking area to the west of the house. Another driveway, to the south of the house, extends to the west and leads to a parking area for the farm stand and then to the same parking area beyond the Farmhouse. The Farmhouse sits close to the road along the east side of the property, and the Barn is to the northwest of the house. To the northwest of the barn is a metal shed. A retail farm stand building is to the south of the house. Located on the property, to the southwest of the house, is a pond. In the western portion of the property are fields of Christmas trees and other crops. A service road extends to the north from the parking area, leads to the west side of the barn, curves and heads south into the agricultural fields. The house with which the barn is associated has a cross-gable roof and was built in the 18 th century but incorporates 19 th -century modifications. The L-shaped dwelling has two entries on the west eave-side and a formal entry on the south side. The Albert Norton House has a three-bay, front-facing gable without an entry. Windows on front and side elevations have wide plain friezes and simple molded caps and are fitted with 2-over-2 sash. The molded main roof cornice shows a full return across the gable ends; the pedimented peak has staggered-butt shingles and a single attic light [the house now has vinyl siding (2013)]. To the left is a shallow gabled ell, set back two bays. Just to the front of the ell is a Colonial Revival main entry under a later one-story porch. The right elevation features a four-bay gabled ell, set back three bays. Both side gables are treated as the front, although that on the right is somewhat narrower. Portions of the interior still show exposed timber framing. Architecturally, the Albert Norton House is significant as an example of an 18 th -century house with extensive mid- and late-19 th -century modifications. Oral tradition and the existence of early timber framing provide evidence of the house s early origin, but its basic plan, massing, and decoration date to the 19 th century. The relatively wide gables, pedimented peaks, and molded window caps probably date to the first half of the 19 th century (Historic Resource Consultants). Other notable features of building or site (Interior and/or Exterior): Architectural description: Inventory of structures (C contributing, NC non-contributing): House 18 th c. C Barn Late 19 th c. C Farm stand Early 20 th c. C Shed Late 20 th c. NC Barn: This is an approximately 75 x 27, 2 ½-story, gable-roofed late-19th-century extended English bank barn with a basement and a gable-roofed addition. The barn and addition form an L-shaped structure. The addition measures

4 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No approximately 27 x 35, and is believed to have been a small English barn located elsewhere on the property, and attached to the barn sometime during the early 20 th century. The ridge-line of the barn is approximately parallel with Chamberlain Highway (Rte. 71), which runs north-south. The ridge-line of the addition is perpendicular to the road, and runs approximately east-west. The barn and addition both have vertical board siding painted white. They have fieldstone foundations and roofs with wide, overhanging eaves with asphalt shingles. Numerous windows are unusual in a barn, and appear to have been added in a conversion to poultry-raising. Exterior: Two entries are found on the east eave-side of the barn, consisting of a pair of exterior-hung sliding doors with Z- bracing just north of center, and a single leaf exterior-hung sliding door to the south. Between the two entries are two sets of six-pane windows with trim. Above the doors with Z-bracing are two sets of three six-pane windows with trim. The gable-roofed addition is attached near the north corner of the east eave-side of the barn. The south side of the addition has two sets of exterior-hung sliding doors with Z-bracing. Above the doors are two sets of three six-pane windows with trim. The east gable-end of the addition has a six-pane window with trim centered on this side. Above is a hay-door flanked by two six-pane windows with trim, and a six-pane window with trim in the gable attic. Two window openings are found near the east corner of the north eave-side of the addition, and a window opening is near the west corner. Above, on the second-story, are two three-pane windows with trim. The west gable-end of the addition is attached to the barn. The grade drops towards the west, revealing a fieldstone foundation along the north gable-end of the barn. Two window openings with trim, with two windows above, and a six-pane window in the gable attic are found on this side. There are no other features on the north gable-end of the barn. The grade drops further towards the west, revealing a basement level on the west eave-side of the barn. A set of side-hinged doors are centered on this side. A series of seven two-pane hopper windows with trim are spaced evenly along the main level of the barn. Found just below the eave is a series of seven three-pane windows with trim. Along the banked basement level of the south gable-end of the barn there is a set of three six-pane windows with trim, a pair of doors, and a set of three six-pane windows with trim. Above, are eight window openings, some sixpane and some single-pane. In the second-story are six windows, four with single-panes and two with six-panes. A louvered vent is found in the gable attic. The grade rises along this side of the barn, towards the east. Interior: The interior of the barn is accessed by the doors on the east eave-side. The floors and walls inside the barn are of wood planks with sawn dimension lumber joists supporting the upper floor level. A wall with a sliding door that has original iron hardware separates the north and south sections of the barn. The access to the interior of the addition is found on the south eave-side. The addition also has wood plank walls and floors. White paint is found on the timbers throughout both the barn and addition, indicating its use as a dairy barn. A staircase along the north wall of the addition leads to the second-story of both the barn and addition. The walls and floors of the second story are also of wood planks, with a ceiling of wall board. Poultry pens line the north and south walls in the addition and along the east and west walls of the barn. A ladder in the main barn leads to a cutout in the sheet rock ceiling, where there is access to the attic. The post-and-beam frame is visible in the attic, and is connected by mortise and tenon joints with tree nails. Sawn marks are seen on the timbers throughout the barn. Modern canted support braces have been added to help stabilize the barn. Common rafters meet at the peak with a ridge-board, and collar ties were added in modern times. The roof deck is made of wood planks. The presence of a post and beam frame and evidence of dairy use may indicate that the upper floor could have been added along with the numerous window openings at the time of conversion to poultry use. The interior of the basement is accessed by the doors on the west eave-side of the barn. They open into an area with dirt floors and fieldstone walls. Hand hewn marks are found on some of the timbers indicating the basement may have been built with re-used wood from earlier barns. White wash is still extant, as it was in the story just above.

5 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No Typical of English barns, the joists in the ceiling of the basement are lateral in the middle, and longitudinal on the sides. The lateral joists helped carry the heavy loads of the tractor that would be driving into the barn. Historical or Architectural importance: Applicable Connecticut State Register Criterion: 2. Embodying the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction. This is an unusual example of a late-19 th -century extended English bank barn converted to poultry use. The original materials are still intact, the immediate surrounding has changed very little over time, and it continues to be used for agricultural purposes. Historical background: Berlin originally started as separate religious societies known as Kensington, Worthington, and East Berlin. In 1785, New Britain became a town that included Kensington and Worthington. In 1850, Kensington and Worthington broke from New Britain and formed the town Berlin. Today there are three distinct districts of Berlin: Kensington, Berlin Center, and East Berlin. South Kensington is considered to be the most rural of all the areas in town. Originally, this property was owned by Roger Norton during the 18 th century. In the 19 th century, Albert Norton, grandson of Roger Norton, occupied the property. In an 1869 Baker and Tilden Map of Hartford City and County, the property is listed as being owned by A. and F. H. Norton. According to the 1870 census records of Hartford County, Albert Norton and Fredrick H. Norton lived next to each other. Fredrick H. Norton (perhaps Albert Norton s son) was the age of 42 in 1870, and he died in After the Nortons, the Fonda and Watrous families owned the property and then Lawrence and Nellie Laviana purchased it in In 2002, the Laviana siblings Ronald and Arlene acquired the property. During the early 20 th -century, and perhaps earlier, the barn was used for dairy purposes. Since the Laviana family has owned the property, the barn has been used for poultry, apple storage, and farm equipment storage. It is now solely used for the storage of farm equipment and other agricultural items. Currently, the property primarily functions as a Christmas Tree farm. Architectural significance: This is an unusual example of a late-19 th -century extended English bank barn converted to poultry use. The original materials are still intact, the immediate surrounding has changed very little over time, and it continues to be used for agricultural purposes. The main barn is still in its original location, while the addition was moved a short distance to its current site. The barn also serves as a good example of how the function of farms changed over time. Formerly a dairy farm, the focus switched to poultry and fruit during the 20 th -century. Originally, the barn housed dairy cows, then poultry, and now it stores farm equipment. Sources (continuation): Photographs and field notes by Kristen Young - 3/13/2013. Interview with Arlene Laviana - 3/13/2013, 1684 Chamberlain Highway, Berlin, CT. Map resources: Berlin Tax Assessor's Records accessed 3/29/ Parcel ID: 19-4/ 15/ 17 Berlin GIS Viewer accessed 3/29/ Aerial views from: and - accessed 3/29/2013. Historical aerial photography and maps accessed 3/29/2013 at UConn MAGIC:

6 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No USGS Historical Maps accessed 3/29/2013 at UTM coordinates accessed 3/29/2013: Print and internet resources: Connecticut State Library online accessed 3/29/2013: iconn.org or Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Barns of Connecticut Resource Inventory, 2010, Historic Resource Consultants, Townwide Historic and Architectural Survey of Berlin, Hartford, CT, North, Catherine M., History of Berlin Connecticut, Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, New Haven, CT, Sexton, James, PhD; Survey Narrative of the Connecticut Barn, Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, Hamden, CT, 2005, The Berlin Historical Society, Inc., History of Berlin, accessed 3/29/2013 at U.S. Federal Census, accessed 3/29/2013 at Visser, Thomas D., Field Guide to New England Barns & Farm Buildings, University Press of New England, Location map of 1684 Chamberlain Highway, Berlin, CT from accessed 3/29/2013.

7 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No Parcel map of 1684 Chamberlain Highway, Berlin, CT from - accessed 3/29/ South aerial bird s eye view of 1684 Chamberlain Highway, Berlin, CT from - accessed 3/29/2013.

8 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No Site map of 1684 Chamberlain Highway, Berlin, CT from accessed 3/29/ Northwest context view of the barn on the left, house in the middle, and the farm stand on the right (behind the cars). Camera facing southeast.

9 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No East context view of the barn on the left and the shed on the right (in the distance behind the barn). Camera facing west. 7. East context view of the Christmas trees in the field. Camera facing west.

10 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No Southeast view of the house. Camera facing northwest. 9. Southeast view of the shed. Camera facing northwest.

11 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No North view of the farm stand. Camera facing south. 11. South gable-end and east eave-side of the barn, and south eave-side and east gable-end of the addition. Camera facing northwest.

12 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No East eave-side of the barn. Camera facing west. 13. South eave-side and east gable-end of the addition. Camera facing northwest.

13 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No North eave-side of the addition and north gable-end of the barn. Camera facing south. 15. North gable-end of the barn. Camera facing southeast.

14 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No West eave-side of the barn. Camera facing east. 17. West eave-side and south gable-end of the barn. Camera facing northeast.

15 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No South gable-end of the barn. Camera facing north. 19. Interior view of the southwest corner of the barn. Camera facing southwest.

16 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No Interior view of the wall separating the north and south sections of the barn. Note the original iron hardware on the sliding door. Camera facing north. 21. Interior view of the north section of the barn. Camera facing west.

17 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No Interior view of the second story of the barn. Note the poultry pens. Camera facing south. 23. Interior view of the north gable-end of the barn. Note the canted braces. Camera facing north.

18 1684 Chamberlain Hwy, Berlin, CT Record No Interior view of the southwest corner of the barn. Note the post-and-beam frame with mortise and tenon joints pegged together with tree nails. Camera facing southwest. 25. Interior view of the common rafters meeting at the peak with a ridge-board. Camera facing north.